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Final Girl Board Game Buying Guide and Expansions

Between its deep thematic experience and variable gameplay, Final Girl is a single-player board game that stands out from other horror board games. The game’s title comes from the trope of the same name, which refers to the last surviving female character in a horror movie – think Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode from Halloween or Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley from Alien.

In a sort of multiversal twist, Final Girl’s numerous expansions each feature different protagonists – all of whom have their own individual abilities – as well as new monsters and locations. Essentially, each expansion serves as its own unique horror game, paying homage to a classic horror film or story; however, the various expansions can be mixed and matched to pit any girl against any monster in any location.

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Don’t get it twisted and think that Final Girl is merely a novel experience for the hardcore horror fanatic. On the contrary, Final Girl is widely regarded as one of the best solo board games that money can buy. Still, with a wealth of options when it comes to expansions, new players might be scratching their heads, wondering where to start. Well, fear not, as this handy guide offers you everything you need to know about the Final Girl Core Box and the series’ various expansions.

Final Girl – Core Box

IMPORTANT: REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE FEATURE FILM BOX TO PLAY

MSRP: $19.99

  • Age: 14+
  • Players: 1
  • Play Time: 20-60 mins

Final Girl is a single-player horror tabletop series in which players take control of one of the titular final girls to fight pop culture-inspired monsters. Each expansion comes with its own set of unique mechanics and quirks, but players are generally exploring spooky locations, drawing various event cards, playing action cards, chucking dice, saving victims, and widdling down the villain’s health.

The first important thing to note about the Core Box is that it is not playable on its own. To borrow a dated but apt metaphor, think of the Final Girl Core Box as a VHS player and the Feature Film boxes (expansions) as playable tapes.

As every Feature Film box requires the Core Box, however, this is still a part of the first purchase any prospective Final Girl player will want to make. Included in the Core Box are the basic rules as well as the general components required to play any game of Final Girl.

Where players choose to go from here is largely up to personal preference, but I won’t leave you in the dark concerning recommended purchases. The remainder of this guide will mainly cover each expansion currently available in the order they were released. Under each expansion, I will discuss the various features as well as weigh out the pros and cons so you can decide which spooky adventure is right for you.

Expansions (Feature Film Boxes)

Final Girl: Happy Trails Horror

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Laurie & Reiko
  • Monster: Hans – The Butcher
  • Location: Camp Happy Trails

Happy Trails Horror is about as good a place to start as any. In fact, the Feature Films box is actually included with the Core Box in a separate Starter Bundle, which is listed for $39.98. However, it should be noted the bundle doesn’t save you any money compared to buying the two products separately, so there’s no financial incentive to opt for this route.

That said, Hans – The Butcher is a straightforward villain, making this an excellent place to start. Later villains can offer much more of a challenge, even for seasoned players, and may prove too frustrating for newcomers. Happy Trails Horror is the perfect entry point if you’re looking for a classic slasher akin to Friday the 13th.

Final Girl: Haunting of Creech Manor

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Alice & Selena
  • Monster: The Poltergeist
  • Location: Creech Manor

Haunting of Creech Manor is one of the more unique experiences in comparison to other Feature Film boxes. First, The Poltergeist differs from other villains in that it cannot be damaged by the player. Rather, to win, the player needs to save a little girl by the name of Carolyn.

Still, while the novelty of Haunting of Creech Manor makes it stand out, difficulty can be a bit of a mixed bag. Winning or losing can feel more like a stroke of luck rather than requiring any actual skill. If the cards and dice don’t turn in your favor, it might feel like winning a round here is nearly impossible.

The change of pace makes this a must-play for experienced Final Girl fans, but it’s perhaps best saved for a later pickup. That way, players can truly appreciate the unique blend of mechanics that Creech Manor brings to the table.

Final Girl: Slaughter in The Groves

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Adelaide & Barbara
  • Monster: Inkanyamba
  • Location: Sacred Groves

Slaughter in the Groves transports players to Africa for a sight-seeing trip gone wrong where a masked killer is looking for revenge on behalf of their gods. Overall, it is an interesting idea, but it’s one accompanied by a high level of difficulty. Both the villain and the map present a wealth of challenges that can quickly result in frustration, even for veteran players.

Due to its sheer difficulty, Slaughter in the Groves should probably be a later pickup for most fans. However, those who are particularly gluttons for punishment may want to consider moving Inkanyamba and the Sacred Groves up their wish list.

Final Girl: Carnage at the Carnival

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Asami & Charlie
  • Monster: Geppetto – The Puppet Master
  • Location: Carnival of Blood

Perhaps the biggest gripe fans of the series have against Final Girl is that it can sometimes feel a bit swingy. In other words, it may not matter how adept your Final Girl skills are; a couple of bad draws can lose you the game rather quickly. Unfortunately, that con is highlighted in Carnage at the Carnival.

The Carnival of Blood map contains numerous traps that make investigating treacherous. These traps can have damaging effects that make it nearly impossible for players to win the round if encountered at inopportune moments. Carnage at the Carnival mitigates this somewhat by making Asami, one of the included final girls, immune to traps, but that kind of defeats the point of the mechanic altogether.

That said, Gepetto – The Puppet Master, is an interesting villain in the franchise as he contains various puppet minions. Most of the villains in Final Girl fight alone, so this departure makes for an interesting twist. Due to the difficulty of the map, Carnage at the Carnival isn’t an ideal starting point, but Gepetto certainly makes this an intriguing selection for experienced players.

Final Girl: Frightmare on Maple Lane

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Nacy & Sheila
  • Monster: Dr. Fright
  • Location: Maple Lane

Both the Maple Lane location and Dr. Fright offer straightforward, albeit memorable, experiences that make this Feature Film box an excellent choice for beginners. Not to mention, the clear homage to the Nightmare on Elm Street series makes for a compelling and terrifying narrative.

The sleep mechanic, which requires players to fight Dr. Fight in their dreams, is an interesting twist on the Final Girl formula, and it doesn’t add a ton of bloat to the core gameplay, either. For players who already have Happy Trails Horror (or some other Feature Film box) in their collection, Frightmare on Maple Lane is a solid next option to look into.

Final Girl: Into the Void

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Ellen & Jenette
  • Monster: The Evomorph
  • Location: The USS Konrad

This Alien-inspired Feature Film box is a fan-favorite due to its spaceship locale and its continuously evolving villain, The Evomorph. Unfortunately, what makes this entry so great is also what makes it a non-ideal starting point, a bevy of extra rules.

Those who really want to sit down and experience Into the Void (and you totally should, at some point) will first have to get familiar with the new ruleset introduced with The Evomorph and The USS Konrad. However, those who take the extra time to study up before playing will be treated to arguably one of the best boxes in the Final Girl series.

Final Girl: Panic at Station 2891

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Kate & Uki
  • Monster: The Organism
  • Location: Station 2891

In this Feature Film box heavily inspired by The Thing, players are tasked with testing patients to determine whether or not The Organism has assimilated them. This expansion differs from other Feature Film boxes in that each game begins without a monster. After the testing phase, however, there can be up to three baddies in one game at a given time.

The map itself is also rather unique because it features a hypothermia element due to the arctic setting. Not to mention, the distinct helicopter mechanic requires a bit of strategy that is not present in other box sets. As only three people can escape at one time via helicopter, players need to think through the most efficient way to save the many victims of Station 2891. Again, this is an excellent entry, but perhaps not the right one to start with due to all the added mechanics.

Final Girl: A Knock at the Door

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Ava & Ginny
  • Monster: The Intruders
  • Location: Wingard Cottage

A Knock at the Door is a home invasion expansion inspired by The Strangers. As with the film series, there are three different intruders, each of whom can act as the main antagonist at any given moment. Because of that, tension in A Knock at the Door remains high throughout. There never quite feels like there is a moment when you’re totally safe.

Constant tension coupled with an interesting crafting mechanic for potential weapon-building makes each playthrough potentially quite different. A box with only a single villain to focus on, like Happy Trails Horror or Frightmare on Maple Lane, might be a better place to start. Still, A Knock at the Cabin makes its case for being an excellent entry point thanks to its exceptionally strong theme and ample replayability.

Final Girl: Once Upon a Full Moon

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Gretel & Red
  • Monster: The Big Bad Wolf
  • Location: The Storybook Woods

Despite being a later entry in the franchise, Once Upon a Full Moon is another recommended starting point for newcomers. The fairytale feel of this Feature Film box is universally understandable, even for those who haven’t seen their share of horror movies.

Not to mention, there aren’t a ton of extra rules to learn, either. Essentially, it serves as the Happy Trails Horror of the franchise’s second wave of releases. It’s just a straightforward good time that should quickly get new players to the table and up to speed.

Final Girl: Madness in the Dark

MSRP: $19.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Heather & Veronica
  • Monster: The Ratchet Lady
  • Location: Wolfe Asylum

The swingy-ness of the Final Girl franchise reveals itself yet again with Madness in the Dark. Perhaps more than most entries in the series, this Feature Film box can either be defeated or bring a player to their knees in a relatively short period of time, largely depending on the luck of the draw. Still, Madness in the Dark contains some interesting ideas that make a visit to this creepy asylum worth the trip.

In particular, the floors of Wolfe Asylum are littered with collectible pills. These pills can be taken for a bonus effect or stacked together for more powerful abilities. However, this mechanic’s potential side effects turn Madness in the Dark into a bit of a test-your-luck game. Whether you become an overpowered monster killer or simply go mad might just determine the outcome of your playthrough.

Final Girl: The North Pole Nightmare

MSRP: $29.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX)

  • Final Girl: Cindy & Mrs. Claus
  • Monster: Krampus
  • Location: Santa’s Village

In a special holiday edition of sorts, The North Pole Nightmare pits final girls Cindy the Elf and Mrs. Claus against Krampus. The unique aspect of The North Pole Nightmare (other than its theme) is the present mechanic, which can either help or hurt you, depending on whether or not these gifts come from Santa or Krampus.

The North Pole Nightmare is a solid addition to any collection, especially if you’re the type of person looking for a horror-filled adventure around the holidays. Not to mention, saving the day as Mrs. Claus is just some campy fun. However, like any holiday special, The North Pole Nightmare is probably best enjoyed by those who already have some experience with the series, as its twists and turns are likely to be more greatly appreciated by existing fans.

Mini Expansions

In addition to the various Feature Film boxes currently available, there are a handful of smaller vignettes worth considering that offer new villains and final girls. However, as these expansions don’t include locations, they must be paired with the Core Box and one of the Feature Film boxes.

Final Girl: Terror From Above

MSRP: $9.99

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX AND ANY ONE FEATURE FILM BOX)

  • Final Girl: Melanie
  • Monster: Birds

Again, smaller vignettes like Terror From Above and Terror From the Grave require the core box and a feature film box to be playable. Both vignettes, however, introduce a new protagonist and monster that can be taken to any in-game location. For example, the monsters of Maple Lane and Creech Manor can be swapped out with the killer birds included with Terror From Above. I’m not sure what killer birds would be doing on a space station, but you can definitely play that scenario out if you want to, as well.

Final Girl: Terror From the Grave

MSRP: $9.99

Components (REQUIRES THE CORE BOX AND ANY ONE FEATURE FILM BOX)

  • Final Girl: Patsy
  • Monster: Zombies

An encompassing horror franchise like Final Girl just wouldn’t feel complete without zombies. While zombies have yet to receive their own standalone Feature Film box, this vignette allows the iconic horror monster to go to any location featured in previous expansions. Want to fight zombies in space or at the carnival? Well, now you can.

Final Girl Extras

Even beyond the various Feature Film boxes and smaller vignettes, there are several items available with the Final Girl branding that you might be curious about. For example, there are miniatures of the many protagonists and monsters, promotional final girls, additional scenario booklets, and even storage boxes for collectors.

Bottom Line

With decades of iconic movie and pop culture monsters to take inspiration from, there is seemingly no end in sight for the Final Girl franchise. In fact, publisher Van Ryder Games has already completed a successful Kickstarter campaign for the latest slate of Feature Film boxes and is looking to make them available for purchase soon.

For those looking to get into the series, Happy Trails Horror, Frightmare on Maple Lane, and Once Upon a Full Moon are all great Feature Film sets to purchase first, along with the Core Box. However, if one horror homage, in particular, calls to you, there’s no reason you can’t start with any of the Feature Film boxes; it just may require learning a few more rules and some additional setup time.

Luckily, for those who think Final Girl might just become their next obsession/collection, many of the titles listed above can be found for well under MSRP at retailers like Amazon. If you need help staying on top of those always-changing deals, bookmark our board games deals page to score some serious discounts. If you’re still looking for more spookiness for your weekly game nights, feel free to look through our picks for the best horror board games.

Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGOs. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter.

Call of Duty Warzone Fans Up in Arms Over Playlist Consolidation Ahead of Black Ops 6 Launch

Activision has been accused of “butchering” the playlists available for battle royale Warzone after developer Raven Software announced a consolidation ahead of the release of Black Ops 6.

Warzone typically rotates different modes, squad sizes, and even maps every week, much to the annoyance of some fans who just want to play the battle royale in their favorite way, or with a specific number of friends.

With Black Ops 6’s release just a few weeks away, Raven announced it’s making “preparations” for the future of Warzone. As part of that, has consolidated the current playlist selection into the following:

• Battle Royale Solos & Quads

• Resurgence Duos & Quads

Plunder, Bootcamp, and active Limited-Time Modes will remain available, and Trios will continue to be available via Ranked Play, with the current season ending on Thursday, October 17.

However, it’s what Warzone has lost, rather than what it now has, that has sparked a backlash from fans, with Duos and Trios no longer available in Battle Royale mode, and Solos and Trios unavailable in Resurgence.

This means that from now until at least the launch of Black Ops 6 on October 25, Urikztsan (the current Battle Royale map) only supports Solos, Quads, and Plunder Quads, and Resurgence has a Duos and Quads map rotation, with Trios available in Ranked Play only via Rebirth Island (by far the smallest map in the game).

It’s fair to say this announcement has sparked a backlash from Warzone’s hardcore community. “This might be one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen,” said YouTuber Westie. “You’re essentially sunsetting core branches of your game and giving no real explanation at the time the change is being made.

“Some added context/information would be wonderful.”

Here’s some more reaction:

Raven has yet to offer an explanation for its decision, but some are speculating it has to do with a need to maintain fast-filling lobbies amid a perceived shrinking playerbase. Players are also wondering why Raven namechecked the release of Black Ops 6 in its announcement — Warzone is set to incorporate the upcoming shooter’s mechanics, weapons, and gear into the game, but there’s no explanation for why this would require a playlist consolidation.

For now, Warzone players have no choice but to play with this new, consolidated playlist offering, or, as some are threatening, quit until their favorite ways to play return.

Last month, Activision announced that Warzone is bringing back the map that started it all, Verdansk, in spring 2025. Verdansk is the most beloved map in Warzone’s four-year history, and it returns to the battle royale complete with iconic points of interest such as Stadium, the Train Station, and Superstore. Fans are now hoping their favorite playlists will be available in time for Verdansk’s release.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Space Marine 2 Patch 3.0 Made a Seemingly Innocuous Change to the Game’s Ending — and Now Warhammer 40,000 Lore Fans Are Losing Their Minds

A seemingly innocuous change made to Space Marine 2 as part of this week’s big Patch 3.0 has got Warhammer 40,000 lore fans excited about potentially huge implications for the game’s story and the wider setting itself.

Warning! Huge spoilers for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 follow:

Space Marine 2 patch 3.0, released yesterday, September 26, made a long list of welcome changes to the game, but one line in particular buried within the patch notes suggests the Emperor himself played a key role in the story all along.

Pre-patch, during the climax of Space Marine 2, we see a cutscene in which protagonist Lieutenant Titus almost dies while destroying a Chaos artifact. He then hears a voice that says: “Rise, son of Guilliman.”

According to the game’s subtitles, that line — again, pre-patch — was attributed to Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. Fans took it as an odd thing for Calgar to say to Titus, given he also is a son of Roboute Guilliman, the primarch from which all Ultramarines are based.

Now, onto patch 3.0. Here’s the change in question:

  • Fixed an unidentified voice at the end of the story that was assigned to the wrong character.

Assigned to the wrong character, you say? So, who is the right character? The same cutscene now attributes the line to [Voice], which is ambiguous, but Warhammer 40,000 lore fans have a clear idea who this voice belongs to: the Emperor himself.

If true, this has big implications for Space Marine 2’s story, the nature of Titus’ abilities not just in this game but the first, and any role he might play in the ongoing narrative. But given Titus is now part of the Warhammer 40,000 canon (he has his own model you can play on Games Workshop’s tabletop game and the company has even released an official lore video delving into Titus’ backstory on Warhammer TV), fans are taking this as further evidence of the Emperor’s resurgence across the galaxy.

For the uninitiated, the Emperor of Mankind is the reigning monarch of the Imperium of Man whose slowly decaying body has sat immobile within the Golden Throne of Terra for over 10,000 years. But that hasn’t stopped the Emperor, the most powerful psyker to have ever existed, from seemingly stepping in every now and then to help humanity out in its darkest hours.

At this point in the ongoing (and slow moving!) Warhammer 40,000 storyline, there is growing evidence to suggest the Emperor is finally stirring, with some convinced his return proper is coming sooner rather than later. Indeed, in Warhammer 40,000 novel Godblight, the Emperor uses Guilliman as a vessel to burn down the Garden of Nurgle from within the Warp, miraculously reviving his son in the process.

Warhammer 40,000 fans now believe the Emperor is doing something similar with Titus. Titus’ unexplained immunity to the corrupting influence of Chaos during the Space Marine games may have been the Emperor’s doing all along. Indeed Titus’ ability to interact with the Chaos artifact and destroy it might be because he is blessed by the Emperor. As the ending of Space Marine 2 makes clear, the Inquisition’s suspicion of Titus and his abilities continues despite his heroics. But perhaps in the inevitable Space Marine 3 we’ll see the truth of the Emperor’s involvement, and Titus finally clear of the Inquisition’s attention.

For now, Space Marine 2 and Warhammer 40,000 lore fans are simply enjoying the debate this change has sparked, and have pointed to a tease by creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick about whether the line of dialogue in question does indeed come from the Emperor. Here’s his response:

“That is open to individual interpretation. It could be in Titus’s mind, could be Calgar, or it could be the Emperor (though GW might disagree on that). I know who I meant it to be when I wrote it but I’ll keep that to myself ;)”

IGN recently interviewed Saber chief creative officer Tim Willits about the boost he expects the PS5 Pro will give the game, and how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 has “changed everything” for the studio.

Meanwhile, Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill has been playing Space Marine 2 and delivered his verdict, and we also have details on what fans can expect from Space Marine 2’s seasonal post-launch content model. Season 2 runs from October until the end of 2024, and includes a new Operations map, a new enemy, a harder difficulty level, a new weapon, and various other improvements.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The Day Before Devs Seemingly Resurface and They’re Asking for Your Money Again

Remember The Day Before, the once-hyped game that had such a disastrous early access launch that the Singapore-based studio that developed it, Fntastic, announced its closure just days later? Well, Fntastic appears to be back, and they’re asking for a second chance — and your money.

In yet another bizarre development to what was already a strange saga, the X/Twitter account for Fntastic resurfaced today, announcing a Kickstarter campaign and asking for “your help again to bring Fntastic back.” The post links to a website which claims to lay out the details for Fntastic’s next moves.

If your first thought is that this whole thing could be a hoax, you’d be forgiven — and frankly, it very well could be. But if it is, it’s a pretty elaborate troll, as the website is extensive. It includes an FAQ, a PDF detailing its “recovery plan,” contact info, a merch page, and more. It also links to a Discord server which has mods claiming to be Fntastic devs and a bevy of confused onlookers.

What’s more, the website even includes details and links to a new multiplayer co-op game, Escape Factory. A free demo is currently available via its Steam page, and a Kickstarter page is looking to raise $15,535 to bring the game to fruition. As of press time, the campaign has raised $139 from three backers. The YouTube account for Fntastic, which was scrubbed shortly before The Day Before’s launch, also posted a trailer for Escape Factory.

According to the FAQ section of the website, if Escape Factory does not reach its Kickstarter goal, the studio won’t be able to return.

If the whole thing seems a little tone-deaf after the disaster that was The Day Before, the website claiming to be Fntastic at least acknowledges that it might have some trouble regaining consumers’ trust. The website says they “deeply apologize to everyone for The Day Before and take full responsibility for what happened.”

“After the closure, we reflected on our past mistakes and initiated significant internal changes to drive radical improvement,” the site’s FAQ page reads. “We’ve discontinued the practice of involving external volunteers and are now fully committed to a more professional approach. Honesty, transparency, and community engagement have become our top priorities.”

In terms of who is apparently on the current team, the website admits that it’s “smaller, but it still consists of the same people who created all of our previous games.” Interestingly, the website makes no mention of Fntastic founders Eduard Gotovtsev and Aisen Gotovtsev, not even in its “About Us” section that chronicles the studio’s history.

“Honesty, transparency, and community engagement have become our top priorities.”

The website adds that Fntastic has lost all legal rights to both The Day Before and Propnight, another game developed by the studio before its closure, and elaborates further on some of the things it’s learned from The Day Before debacle.

“Over time, we’ve analyzed the factors that led to The Day Before’s unsuccessful launch,” the website reads. “These included overly ambitious goals on a low indie budget, a team without AAA tech experience, and embellished marketing, which we deeply regret.”

The X/Twitter account for Fntastic has been replying to concerned onlookers ever since the first announcement, as many are, understandably, a little hesitant to trust the studio (if this even is the studio).

Fntastic had a tumultous development cycle for The Day Before leading up to its tumultuous launch. The first trailer debuted back in 2021, gaining traction for what looked to be an exciting post-apocalyptic open world MMO. Hype gave way to skepticism, however, amid controversy over the studio’s use of unpaid volunteers, various delays, a trademark dispute, and a fan revolt that accused the whole thing of being a scam.

It all led up to The Day Before’s early access launch in December 2023, and once fans were able to finally get their hands on the game, the response was so overwhelmingly negative (even IGN gave it a rare 1/10) that the servers shut down just over a month later. Refunds were distributed to all who purchased The Day Before, with Fntastic telling one player, “This was our first big experience. Sh*t happens.”

Still, the website saying it’s Fntastic is adamant that the team has learned from its mistakes, stating that its core principles are now “honesty, transparency, and professionalism.”

IGN has reached out to Eduard Gotovtsev and Aisen Gotovtsev, as well as a previous email address for Fntastic, for clarification on the legitimacy of the website, and has not heard back yet. We’ll update this story if and when we do.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

The WD Black SN850X 2TB PS5 SSD with Heatsink Is on Sale Today at Amazon

Amazon is taking 30% off the popular 2TB WD Black SN850X PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe solid state drive (SSD) with pre-installed heatsink, now only $139.99 shipped. The WD Black SN850X is one of the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market; it works equally well as additional storage for your PlayStation 5 console or as a blazing fast boot drive for your gaming rig. This is one of the best M.2 SSDs for 2024. (The SN850P is mentioned in the roundup, but the SN850X is the exact same SSD only without the official PS5 certification.)

2TB WD Black SN850X PS5 SSD with Heatsink

The SN850X is the latest generation of WD’s flagship Black series M.2 SSDs. In terms of performance, it’s considered a top-tier SSD with sustained read speeds of up to 7,300MBps, write speeds of 6,600MBps, random read speeds of up to 1,200K IOPS, and write speeds of 1,100IOPS. It’s faster than the previous generation SN850 thanks to newer flash chips (BiCS5 vs BiCS4) and an updated firmware.

If you plan to install this in your gaming PC, WD includes Game Mode 2.0 utility software that’s designed to tune the SSD for better performance during gaming sessions. Unless you have an unlimited budget, 2TB is the size I would recommend for a boot solid state drive; for most people, this is plenty of space for your OS and apps, and the price is still reasonable.

The SN850X also makes for an excellent SSD for your PlayStation 5 console. This is the same SSD as the officially licensed SN850P. It fulfills all of Sony’s requirements, including M.2 2280 form factor, minimum 5,500MB/s speed, and PCI-E Gen4x4 interface. Even better, this model comes equipped with a slim aluminum heatsink already preinstalled. It’s guaranteed to fit in both the PS5 and PS5 Slim consoles. The SSD comes with a five-year warranty. By the time your warranty runs out, you might have already moved onto the PS6.

If you’re looking for more SSD storage upgrade options for your PS5 console, check out our best PS5 SSD deals of 2023. There are even less expensive options if you’re not married to any brand.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Obsidian Devs Have Floated the Idea of a Pillars of Eternity Tactics Game

While Obsidian Entertainment continues to work on Avowed ahead of its launch next year, studio design director Josh Sawyer has revealed that some members of the team have expressed interest in creating a Pillars of Eternity tactics game.

The director behind projects like Pentiment, Fallout: New Vegas, and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire spoke about the studio’s desires behind the scenes during an interview with Limit Break Network. When asked about Obsidian’s interest in creating more stories set in Eora, he mentioned that a more tactical experience is one idea that at least a few members of the team have brought to the table.

“There have been a number of people, actually, at the studio who have floated the idea of a Pillars tactics game,” Sawyer teased. “Tactics games are very interesting to me, and they occupy a really interesting space in the marketplace because the audience for them is not huge, typically, but very passionate.”

It’s an admission that may have some Pillars of Eternity fans frothing at the mouth, but this doesn’t mean a tactical experience set in that universe is in the works. Sawyer touches on why it might be difficult to pull a game like this together, explaining that, while big-name series like Fire Emblem have managed to draw attention for decades, it’s tough for many tactics games to reach that same level of success. Still, he says there are “a lot of people at the studio” who would like to see a Pillars of Eternity tactics game come to be.

“So, who knows? Maybe someday.

“It’s something that a number of people have talked about and thought about,” Sawyer continues. “It’s a hard one to make a case for. Like, how big should it be? What should the size of the team be? Every once in a while, we’ll bring it up and be like, ‘Oh, we could, maybe. I don’t know. We could, maybe…’ I will say, not just for myself, but there are a lot of people at the studio who have pitched their own versions of a Pillars tactics game. So, who knows? Maybe someday.”

Whether a Pillars of Eternity tactics game will come to be remains to be seen. In the meantime, Obsidian is still hard at work on its Xbox and PC fantasy RPG, Avowed. Set in the Pillars universe, the studio has told fans to expect an experience that falls more in line with something like its past game, The Outer Worlds, than The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Following a delay, Avowed is now set to launch February 18, 2025.

While we know Obsidian plans to eventually release The Outer Worlds 2, its other plans for the future remain a mystery. Last year, studio CEO Feargus Urquhart teased he would like to make at least one more Fallout game before he retires, though no such project has been announced by Obsidian yet. While a potential Pillars of Eternity 3 has also not be confirmed, Sawyer did say last year that he would make a third game so long as his team got a Baldur’s Gate 3-sized budget.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

EA Will Be Sunsetting The Simpsons: Tapped Out After 12 Years

EA is tapping out of The Simpsons: Tapped Out.

The company confirmed that it has made the “difficult decision” to sunset its free-to-play mobile game in a Facebook post today after more than a decade online. The Simpsons: Tapped Out will be removed from app stores on October 31, 2024, and while it’ll continue to be playable for the rest of the year, servers will be shut down on January 24, 2025. In-app purchases have already been disabled.

“The decision to end our twelve-year journey is an emotional one,” EA wrote in its Facebook post today. “Together with our partners at The Simpsons™ and The Walt Disney company, we have delighted in bringing this game to you, the fans, and seeing how you’ve each built your own beloved versions of Springfield. It has been a remarkable journey, and we are grateful that we’ve been able to deliver 308 updates, 831 characters and including today’s final farewell 1,463 questlines.”

The Simpsons: Tapped Out launched for iOS in 2012, followed by Android in 2013, and allowed players to build their own version of Springfield. It proved wildly popular at certain points, and EA said in 2014 that it had generated more than $130 million life-to-date in digital net revenue. Its seasonal and holiday-themed updates proved especially beloved by fans.

Tapped Out also, however, received blowback as part of larger criticism surrounding the freemium game model. It was seemingly lampooned in a 2014 episode of South Park titled “Freemium Isn’t Free,” which found several characters hooked on an app that looked a lot like The Simpsons: Tapped Out.

The news also highlights something of a dearth of Simpsons video games over the past decade. Tapped Out was the most recent, preceeded by The Simpsons Game in 2007 and Hit & Run in 2003. The developers of the latter commented last year on why that beloved game never got a sequel, despite fan demand.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Get a Portable 65W Dock Charger for Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck for Only $10.79

There are times when bringing along your Switch dock could be useful. Unfortunately, the original Switch dock isn’t exactly tiny, and it can be a hassle to remove it from its spot at home. If so, here’s a very inexpensive solution. Amazon currently has the Poweradd 65W Nintendo Switch Dock Charger for only $10.79 after you clip the 20% off coupon on the product page and apply 50% off code “ESBRBEUE” at checkout. This “dock” is as small as a standard wall charger, has both USB Type-C and HDMI ports just like the original Switch dock, and supports up to 65W of Power Delivery, more than enough to charge the Nintendo Switch at its maximum rate.

Poweradd 65W Portable Nintendo Switch Dock Charger

The Poweradd dock charger plugs directly into an outlet and has four ports: a USB Type-C port, a USB Type-A port, an HDMI port, and an ethernet port. The USB Type-C port supports Power Delivery up to 65W, which is enough juice to charge the Switch at its maximum rate of 18W. At its fastest rate, the Switch will continue charging even while you’re playing games. The HDMI port connects your Switch to your TV. The Poweradd supports up to 4K resolutions at 60Hz, which is more than good enough for the Nintendo Switch, since the most it can output is 1080p at 60Hz.

The biggest advantage of the Poweradd is that it is considerably smaller than the Switch dock. That makes it much easier to stow this away in your bag without having to buy yet another larger Switch case. A USB Type-C cable is already included as well, so all you need to supply is your Nintendo Switch and an HDMI cable.

This 65W model is also great for Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally

The Nintendo Switch isn’t the only console that works well with this dock. The Steam Deck accepts up to 40W of charging and the ASUS ROG Ally up to 65W. The Poweradd dock can charge either at the maximum charging rate. The HDMI output is also compatible with both for streaming to an external TV or monitor. Both the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally can output up to 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI, so they can take better advantage of this charger than the Switch can.

Check out more of the best Nintendo Switch deals today.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Every Legend of Zelda Game on the Nintendo Switch in 2024

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most iconic video game series of all time. Started on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, The Legend of Zelda follows various incarnations of Princess Zelda and Link as they fight to save Hyrule from the evil that is Ganon. While the series has always been popular, the Nintendo Switch has catapulted Zelda into one of Nintendo’s best-selling properties with landmark titles in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

With the release of Echoes of Wisdom toward the end of the Nintendo Switch’s life cycle, it’s a great time to look back on all Zelda games available on the system. Below, we’ve compiled every Legend of Zelda game released on the Nintendo Switch.

How Many Zelda Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?

In total, there have been eight Zelda games released specifically for the Nintendo Switch. This includes both mainline entries and spinoff games that were released from 2017 to 2024. We’ve compiled every new Zelda title you can play on Switch below, so you won’t find titles available on the system through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

All Zelda Switch Games in Order of Release Date

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 2017

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the first Zelda title released for Nintendo Switch. Launching alongside the system, this title marked a turning point in the Zelda series, bringing a style of open world gameplay that we’d never seen before. You can traverse to anywhere you can see in the world. Link awakes after a 100 year slumber, where he is tasked by the spirit of Hyrule’s former King to save Princess Zelda from Calamity Ganon – a primal evil trapped inside Hyrule Castle.

Read our review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition – 2018

Hyrule Warriors is an action hack and slash title developed by Omega Force and originally released for the Wii U. Characters from all kinds of Zelda games make an appearance, whether as playable characters or villains. The game was brought over to Nintendo Switch in 2018 in the form of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, and includes all characters, stages, and modes from the original game in addition to Breath of the Wild inspired costumes for Link and Zelda.

Read our review of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition.

Cadence of Hyrule – 2019

Cadence of Hyrule is an extremely unqiue collaboration between Brace Yourself Games and Nintendo. The game combines the roguelike rhythm gameplay of Crypt of the NecroDancer with the world of The Legend of Zelda and its characters. This spinoff offers an incredible soundtrack and beautiful pixelated graphics. Up against Octavo, a musical villain, Zelda and Link team up with Cadence to thwart his plans and save the Hyrule.

Read our review of Cadence of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – 2019

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a remake of 1993 Game Boy title developed by Grezzo. This charming platformer sees Link castaway at Koholint Island, where he must solve the mystery of the Wind Fish, a legendary being said to be on the island. Unlike some of the more modern Zelda titles, Link’s Awakening takes you across many different dungeons and areas to collect the Instruments of the Sirens. If you never got the chance to play the original Link’s Awakening, this is the definitive way to experience one of the Zelda series’ most unique titles.

Read our review of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – 2020

The second Switch entry in the Hyrule Warriors series, Age of Calamity is set 100 years before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Here, you can experience firsthand the events that occured in the fight against Calamity Ganon. All of your favorite Breath of the Wild cahracters are here and playable, including Link, Zelda, the Champions, and so many more. Omega Force created a fun and expansive title, with two waves of DLC you can check out after completing the main story.

Read our review of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD – 2021

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the long-awaited remaster of the classic Wii game. Set at the beginning of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword takes Link to the skies as he traverses across the world to save his childhood friend Zelda. You’ll uncover the Master Sword was created as part of this journey, among other things. The remaster includes the iconic motion controls you can operate with the Joy-Con and a new button-only gameplay style for those looking to play without motion.

Read our review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 2023

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hit the market in 2023, selling over 10 million copies in just three days as well as quite a few special edition Switch consoles. Set a few years after the events of Breath of the Wild, Link is tasked once again with finding Princess Zelda after Ganondorf is resurrected. Tears of the Kingdom takes to both the skies of Hyrule and the depths below the land. This creates one of the largest maps you’ll find in any game, leaving for hundreds of hours of exploration to be had. All in all, it’s the best Zelda game of all time and a hard one to follow.

Read our review of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – 2024

But, of course, Tears of the Kingdom was not the end of this beloved Nintendo franchise. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was announced during June’s Nintendo Direct before launching on the Switch this week. While Echoes has the titular Princess take the story’s reigns, and features a more 2D art style à la Link’s Awakening, it should not be mistaken as a spin-off or side project. This is a full-blown, magical Zelda game, that lets you unlock your creativity to try and save Link and the rest of Hyrule in entirely new ways.

Read our review of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Available Zelda Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

If you’re interested in checking out some of the older Zelda titles, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service has loads of Zelda titles from Nintendo’s older consoles. Here is every Zelda game available on the service:

  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Four Swords
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  • The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
  • The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Upcoming Zelda Games on Nintendo Switch

Echoes of Wisdom is most likely the last Zelda title before the Nintendo Switch 2, so we’ll probably have to wait for the new console before hearing anything about the next Zelda release. In addition to the games themselves, Nintendo has also announced they will be bringing Hyrule to the big screen with a live-action Legend of Zelda movie. In terms of details, the movie’s director, Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), has expressed his desire to make a more “grounded” Zelda adaptation that feels like live-action Miyazaki.

See the full list of upcoming Switch games for the everything coming in 2024 and beyond.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.

Sony Just Doubled the Price of Horizon: Zero Down on PS4 Following PS5 Remaster Reveal

Sony has doubled the price of PlayStation 4 game Horizon: Zero Dawn following the reveal of its PS5 remaster.

Eurogamer spotted the price rise in the UK (from £15.99 to £34.99) but the price also rose in the U.S., jumping from $19.99 to $39.99 on the PlayStation Store.

Horizon: Zero Dawn has been at the previous price point for years as part of the PlayStation Hits collection, and other entries such as God of War and The Last of Us Remastered have remained at the typical $19.99 price.

The price rise comes just days after Sony announced a remaster of the seven-year-old game at its 2024 State of Play broadcast alongside a friendly $9.99 upgrade price for those who own it already. The game otherwise costs $49.99, so the price rise is essentially to stop players buying it for $19.99 on PS4 and paying another $9.99 to upgrade.

This comes after Sony pulled Horizon: Zero Dawn from the PlayStation Plus Extra Games Catalog in May. The 2017 game has therefore gone from free for subscribers to $19.99 and now $39.99 in the last four months, or $49.99 for those wanting the best version.

The PS5 version of Horizon: Zero Dawn arrives October 31 with 10 hours of re-recorded dialogue and visual enhancements.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.